Is YouTube, Google Account Merging Another Step Towards Social Platform?

If you have a YouTube account and it is not tied to a Google account you may not be able to log in in a few weeks, according to the YouTube blog. All YouTube accounts have to be tied to a Google account. Whether this is to help improve the service, or a tie to their non existent Social Circles, or a consolidation motivated by tracking to avoid any potential privacy issues later has yet to be determined.

What is obvious is Google is consolidating user information and this move will help push whatever their social play is. Right now they list what is last watched next to posters names.

“You’re probably asking yourself ”Why am I being required to connect my YouTube Account with a Google Account?” Well, let’s use an analogy. Imagine instead of that sleek new mobile phone you bought last year, you were instead carrying around one of those big brick phones from the 90’s. It might still make calls, but it would be slow and bulky and unable to do 90% of what current smart phones do. Your old YouTube account is a lot like that cell phone. It still works, but it’s not as fast, secure and efficient as the Google Account we’re asking you to link to,” Google noted.

As the author note shows above and the launch of the Disco app last week adds to the rest Google is aware of the impact of social and is adapting it in to its products. Will there be a video announcing their social play?